Media Contact: Allie Wright, [email protected], (202) 794-1823
Charleston, S.C. (June 12, 2017) – Governor Henry McMaster today approved the fiscal 2017-2018 South Carolina state budget, which takes effect July 1st. The budget includes $500,000 for Save the Children’s early learning programs across the state.
This funding will allow Save the Children to continue to provide critical educational programs to thousands of children in Barnwell, Clarendon, Lee, Orangeburg and Union counties.
“The South Carolina legislature made a wise investment in supporting Save the Children’s early learning programs, which help thousands of kids in rural areas each year and ensure that they will start kindergarten ready to succeed,” said Mark Shriver, president of Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) and Senior Vice President for Save the Children’s U.S. Programs. “We know that early childhood education programs give kids a strong start in life and lead to stronger communities, so this is critical for South Carolina’s future.”
Save the Children has worked in South Carolina since 2003 and currently partners with 15 schools in five counties to deliver programs to more than 5,500 children.
“Our programs have a major impact on the lives of the children and families we serve,” said Shriver. “We provide opportunities for students to boost their reading achievement, healthy snacks and nutrition education and home-visiting programs to help equip parents with the skills they need to help their child thrive. I’m grateful to the Governor and lawmakers in South Carolina for recognizing Save the Children’s value and investing in kids.”
Across the U.S. in 2016, Save the Children’s U.S. Programs directly served 317,000 children.
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Save the Children Action Network is the political voice for kids. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life. That’s why we’re building bipartisan will and voter support to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning and that no mother or child around the globe dies from a preventable disease or illness. By investing in kids and holding leaders accountable, we are helping kids from birth to age five survive and thrive. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.